Energy meters/monitors

lstar337

jbuchanangb wrote: »

It's all very well suggesting smart meters, but that would be on the wall in my garage where I wouldn't be able to see it, whereas the OWL device is portable, it can sit on my desk, or I can take it around to where I want to use it.

Smart meters have a wireless display just like an OWL. The difference is that a smart meter will be 100% accurate, whereas the OWL is about 70% I believe and very poor at low power levels.

[Deleted User]

Terry98 wrote: »

The kettle is high power so is the immersion heater and I bet quite a few people leave immersion heaters on for longer than necessary.

A smart meter/monitor will quite easily show anyone how much each appliance costs as the poster pointed out with the kettle example.

Well, yes and no. The monitor is showing cost per unit time, so it's only giving you the cost if you take into account the time it's on for, including the duty cycle of any thermostats.

The main determinants of your hot water bill are the amount of water you use and the amount of lagging you have on the tank, the time the immersion heater is on for will make relatively little difference, especially if the tank is well lagged.

saveallmymoney

lstar337 wrote: »

Smart meters have a wireless display just like an OWL. The difference is that a smart meter will be 100% accurate, whereas the OWL is about 70% I believe and very poor at low power levels.

If you have a meter with a flashing LED you can get an energy monitor that attaches to that and is 100% accurate.

jbuchanangb

I have a meter with a flashing LED. The sensor for my OWL monitor is clipped around a wire next to it.

I'm intrigued in the idea that the may be a device available which gets a feed direct from the meter.

[Deleted User]

jbuchanangb wrote: »

I have a meter with a flashing LED. The sensor for my OWL monitor is clipped around a wire next to it.

I'm intrigued in the idea that the may be a device available which gets a feed direct from the meter.

Yes there is, an electric smart meter

saveallmymoney

jbuchanangb wrote: »

I have a meter with a flashing LED. The sensor for my OWL monitor is clipped around a wire next to it.

I'm intrigued in the idea that the may be a device available which gets a feed direct from the meter.

This is the one i have, the widget sticks over the led and measures the pulses:

http://efergy.com/eu/products/eliteir-monitor/

jbuchanangb

I found the responses interesting, I hope the OP was helped as well.